Valve mechanism for gas uptake pipes of a coke oven battery



0. M. TWEIT July 29, 1947.

VALVE KECHANISI FOR GAS UPTAKE PIPES OF A COKE OVEN BATTERY Filed Sept. 1, 1944 2 Sheets-Sheet l Q-M kM ATTUEAE'Y' 0. M. TWEIT July 29, 1947.

VALVE IBCHANISI FOR GAS UPTAKE PIPES OF A COKE OVEN BATTERY Filud Sept. 1, 1944 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 INVENTUR.

V- B L J Patented July 29, 1947 VALVE MECHANISM FOR GAS UPTAKE PIPES OF A COKE OVEN BATTERY Olav M. Tweit, Mountain Lakes, N. J., assignor to Wllputte Coke Oven Corporation, New York, N. Y., a corporation of Maine Application September 1, 1944, Serial No. 552,284

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This invention relates to the construction and operation of a gas collecting system of a coal distillation plant, and more particularly, to the construction and operation of the valve mechanism associated with the uptake pipes connecting the coking chambers of a coke oven battery with the collector main system.

In the operation of coke oven batteries prior to my invention, it has been the practice to have at least one operator at the top of the battery for both opening and closing the valves associated with the uptake pipes and another operator on the larry car for charging the coking chambers. Before pushing a charge of coke from a coking chamber, the operator on the top of the battery closes the valve in the uptake pipe leading from the coking chamber to be pushed to the collector main so as to seal off the collector main from that coking chamber, thereby preventing the inflow of air into the collector main during pushing and avoiding the creation of an explosion hazard. The same operator also opens the valve in the uptake pipeconnected with the coking chamber to be pushed to vent this chamber to the atmosphere. By thus venting the coking chamber, hot gases in the coking chamber which would otherwise tend to flow through the charging holes when the cover are removed for charging. thereby interfering with the charging operation, flow through the uptake pipe where they may be burned, the products of combustion passing into the atmosphere. After the operator has completed the above-mentioned operations, he proceeds to the next coking chamber to be pushed and repeats the same.

when the pushing of the coke from the coking chamber has been completed and the coke oven door closures restored, before commencing the charging the operator on the top of the battery actuates the valve to place the uptake pipe in communication with the collector main and closes the vent so that the uptake pipe is no longer vented to the atmosphere. If steam jets are employed to facilitate the flow of volatiles during charging into the collector main, the operator also turns on the steam jet in the uptake pipe just prior to the commencement of the charging operation. It will be understood that these operations should be coordinated with the charging of the coking chamber. However, in prior practice, since a different operator is employed to actuate the valves associated with the uptake pipes than the operator controlling the operation of the charging larry, at times charging of the coking chamber is commenced before the uptake pipe is placed in communication with the collector main for flow of gas therelnto, or before the vent in the uptake pipe has been closed, or the steam let in the uptake pipe turned on. As will be appreciated, such errors result in loss of gas and volatiles and in creation of a smoke nuisance. Furthermore, since the same operator opens the valves in the uptake pipe before pushing the charge of coke from a coking chamber and later closes the valves before charging, he is compelled to do considerable walking on the hot oven top.

It is an object of this invention to provide an uptake pipe and collector main construction designed so that the operator on the larry car effects the opening of the valve in the uptake pipe controlling flow therethrough into the collector main, closing of the uptake pipe vent, and in those cases where a steam jet is employed to facilitate removal of volatiles evolved during charging, turning on of this steam jet, Hence, the construction of my invention is substantially foolproof,

i. e. proper coordination of the actuation of the various valves associated with the uptake pipe with the charging necessarily takes place. since one and the same operator effects the desired actuation of the valves and controls the charging. Further, my invention eliminates the necescity for the man or men on the oven top opening the valve in the uptake pipe controlling flow into 80 the collector main, closing the uptake vent and turning on the steam jet, thereby saving him or them many steps on the hot oven top. Other objects and advantages of this invention will be apparent from the following detailed description thereof.

In a preferred embodiment illustrated on the drawing, the invention is shown incorporated in a coke oven battery having two collector mains disposed along the opposite sides of the battery. The present description will be confined to the present illustrated embodiment. It will be understood, however, that the novel features and improvements are susceptible to other applications, such as, for example, coke oven batteries having only one collector main. Hence, the scope of this invention is not confined to the embodiment herein described.

In the accompanying drawings, forming a part of this specification and showing for purposes of exempliilcation the preferred form of the invention, without limiting the claimed invention to such illustrative instance,

Fig. 1 is a vertical crosswise section through the top of a coke oven battery showing in elevation a larry car for supplying fuel to be coked to the amass coking chambers of the battery and illustrating. somewhat diagrammatically, operating mechanism for actuating the valves associated with the uptake pipes; the valve mechanism associated with the uptake pipe, except for the closure for the vent opening, is not shown on this figure to avoid unnecessarily complicating it.

Fig. 2 is an enlarged fragmentary vertical section, partly in elevation, taken in a vertical plane passing through the line 2-2 of Fig. 1.

Fig. 3 is an enlarged fragmentary section taken in a vertical plane passing through line 3-4 Fig. 1 showing an uptake pipe and the valve mechanism associated therewith embodying the present invention.

Fig. 4 is an elevation of the uptake pipe. viewing the same from the direction indicated M an arrow on Fig. 3.

Referring to Fig. 1 of the drawings, a coke oven battery comprising horizontally extending coking chambers is shown having two collector mains [0, li disposed on opposite sides thereof. Each coking chamber of the battery is provided with four charging holes, each identified by reference character i2. As the battery may be of any conventional type, and per se forms no part of this invention, further description thereof is believed unnecessary.

Tracks I3 are mounted on top of the battery on which travel the wheels I of a larry car which may be of any well known type. In the embodiment shown on the drawings, the larry car comprises a structural framework having a cab ll mounted thereon for the operator actuating the larry car. The larry comprises four hoppers, each indicated by reference character II, for supplying fuel to be coked to each of the charging holes i2. As indicated in Fig. 2, the base of each hopper i6 is adapted to be closed by a pan i'i, pivotally mounted at is, and having a conventional vibratory feeding device ll disposed to vibrate the pan I! when it is in the lower position shown in Fig. 2 to facilitate the flow of the fuel from the hoppers to the charging holes. Pan i'l, when in lowered position, leads into a movable chute 2| which bridges the space between the eirlt of the pan and the Ohm hole. This chute 2| is lowered by a pivoted link I! operated from a suitable source of power not shown from a position above the charging hole, when the larry is spotted in charging position, into the mouth of the charging hole, as shown in Figure 2. When the charging is completed, chute 2! is raised, so that the larry is free to move over the top of the coke oven battery. As the hopp r i6, pan I! and chute 2i and operating mechanism associated therewith are not part of the invention claimed herein, and as any well known type of larry may be employed in lieu of that described above, it is believed further description of these elements would serve no useful purpose.

Each uptake pipe, as shown in Figure 3, comprises a short vertically extending portion 24 provided with a metallic heat shield 25 and a gooseneck portion 26, the lower end of which forms a gas-tight joint with the top of the vertical portion 24 by means of suitable packing 21. End 28 of the gooseneck 26 is bolted or otherwise suitably secured to a downwardly extending portion 29 of the uptake pipe. The extremity of portion 29 is shaped in the form oi a hood 3., which enters into a bowl 3i, extending within the collector main. Extremity 39, it will be noted from Fig. 3, extends below the upper portion 0! 4 the bowl ll so that when the bowl Si is full of liquid a liquid seal is provided, preventing flow of gas through the uptake pipe into the collector main or vice versa. Liquor for producing this liquid seal is introduced into the uptake pipe through a spray II.

A Corliss or other suitable valve is disposed to control flow through port ll in the lower portion of the bowl II. The axis of this valve, it will be noted, extends in the same general direction as the length of the battery, permitting ready removal of the valve and the cleaning of the port 33 by the insertion of a suitable tool. Actuation 01' this valve is eflected by a pair of pivoted levers 30, ll, lever 35 being relatively long and provided with a handle I! and a lug 31, the function of which will be hereinafter described. Except for the fact the Corliss valve is disposed with its axis parallel to the length of the battery rather than at a right angle thereto. and furthcr except for the operating mechanism for this valve, the uptake pipe and valve mechanism so far described is of the same type as that disclosed in Reissue Patent 20,619, granted January 11, 1938, original Patent 2,027,548, granted January 14, 1988.

Disposed in the upper portion or the uptake pipe is a vent opening 38. This vent opening is adapted to be closed by a cover I! suitably bolted to a cotter bar II which is fixedly mounted on a shaft 4i pivoted in bearings 42 (Fig. 4) disposed adiacent the vent opening. An arm 43 is iixed to and extends from the shaft 4i. Movement 01' this arm from the substantially horizontal position shown in Fig. 3 to the inclined position, as hereinafter more fully described. causes the cover 88 to close the vent opening 38.

Secured to the side of the uptake is a guide 44 (Fig. 4) provided with an opening 45 through which passes the aforementioned relatively long lever arm 3!.

If it is desired to equip the uptake with a steam jet to facilitate flow of volatiles into the collector main during charging. a steam jet 4B is disposed in the upper portion or the uptake to direct the flow of steam through the gooseneck 2]. The steam jet is supplied with steam by a pipe 41 (Fig. 4) having a valve l8 controlling the flow or steam. Operation of this valve is eifected through a lever 48 secured to the rotatable valve stem of the valve II and a connecting rod 50 connecting lever 49 with one end of a lever II. The other end of lever ii is journaled on shaft 4|, so that it can move relative thereto.

when levers 34 and 35 are in the full-line position shown in Fig. 3, valve 33 is in open position to permit the flow of liquid therethrough so that the uptake is in open communication with the collector main. When it is desired to push a given coking chamber, the operator at the top of the battery, fifteen or twenty minutes before pushing, by means of handle 38 on long lever 3|, moves this lever, so that the lug 31 is caused to pass through and lock in the opening 45 in guide 44, thereby rotating the Corliss valve 33 to close this valve. As liquid is sprayed into the collector main by spray 32, it collects in bowl 3i, forming a liquid seal. The operator also moves the pivoted link 52 by means of handle 53, holding the cover I8 in sealed position to release the cotter bar 40 and swings the cotter bar about its pivot to vent the uptake to the atmosphere. The above described operations are performed on both uptake pipes associated with the cokasses ing chamber. The operator or operators, it two are employed, one for each side of the battery. then proceed to another coking chamber to be pushed to repeat the operations hereinabove described.

When the charging larry is brought into position to charge the chamber from which the coke has been pushed, the operator in the cab II of the larry car before commencing charging eflects closing of cover 38 and opening oi the Corliss valve 33 to break the liquid seal, and, i! a steam jet is employed, the turning on of this let. For this purpose, the larry is provided on a side wall of the hopper It with a guide It through which is reciprocably movable a rod 65 having at its end a pair of plates 56, 51 at an angle to each other as shown in Fig. 3. In a coke oven battery equipped with only one collector main, the larry car is provided with one guide 54 and associated operating mechanism, hereinafter described, for the valves oi the uptake pipes. It a double collector main battery as shown in Fig. l is employed, two such guides and operating mechanism are utilized. Since the mechanism in the cab of the larry for operating the valves in the uptake pipes communicating with collector main I is the same as those in the uptakes communicating with main ll, only one of them will be described hereinafter.

As shown in Fig. 1, this mechanism involves a lever arm 58, pivoted intermediate the ends thereof at 59, and having one end pivoted at 50 to the operating rod 55 and the other end pivoted at Si in a suitable bearing support on the larry. A connecting rod 62 is pivotally secured at B3 to an operating lever 64 pivoted at 65 in the cab of the larry. The operator, by moving lever N about its pivot 65, causes the lever 58 to swing about its pivot 6| to lower the rod 55 within the guide 54. As rod 55 descends, the plate engages the end of the relatively long lever 35, as shown in dotted lines on Fig. 3. Due to the angle of inclinatlon of plate 58 lever 35 is swung about its pivot to release the lug 31 from the slot 45 in uide 44. In the continued downward movement of the rod 55, the plate 51 contacts the upper portion of the relatively long lever 35 and moves this lever in a downward direction to open the Corliss valve 33. Further, plate 51, as it moves downwardly, engages lever 5| to swing it about shaft ll and through connecting rod 50 and link 49 open the valve controlling the flow of steam to steam jet 46. Plate 51 is of a width to also engage the arm 43 fixed to shaft II to swing the shaft, cotter bar 40 fixed thereon and the cover 39 into position to close the vent opening 30.

The operator on the larry then lowers the chutes 2| into the charging holes, the charging hole covers having been removed, and commences the charging. When the charging has been completed, the chutes H are raised, the charging hole covers replaced, and the larry moved to the coal bin for a new charge 01 coal. The operator or operators on the top 01 the battery then manually close the steam jets 48 and also move the links 52 about their pivots to lock the covers I! in seated position.

It will be noted that in the present invention since the opening of valve 83, closing of cover 39 and opening oi steam jet valve 48 on each uptake pipe are effected by the operator in the cab l5 of the larry car, these operations are necessarily properly correlated with the charging of the coking chamber. Furthermore, since the man or men on the top of the battery do not perform these operations in an oven battery equipped with this invention, they are saved considerable walking on the hot oven top.

It is to be understood that this invention is not restricted to the present disclosure otherwise than as defined by the appended claims.

I claim:

1. In a coke oven battery having a charging larry for supplying fuel to be coked to the coking chambers forming the battery, each of which chambers is provided with a gas offtake, a collector main. a gas ofitake pipe connecting the gas offtake of a coking chamber with the collector main, said connection including a liquid seal to prevent the flow of gas from said coking chamber to said collector main during the pushing of coke from said coking chamber, means, comprising an operating part, for breaking said liquid seal to place the coking chamber in communication with said collector main, means for venting said gas ofltake pipe to the atmosphere, said last mentioned means including an operating part, an operating mechanism on said larry, said operating mechanism comprising an element in substantial alignment with said first mentioned operating part and also with said second mentioned operating part when said larry is in position to charge said coking chamber, said element being constructed and arranged to move both of said operating parts to actuate the means for breaking said liquid seal and for closing said venting means.

2. In a coke oven battery having a charging larry for supplying fuel to be coked to the cokin chambers forming the battery, each of which chambers is provided with a gas oiitake, a collector main, a gas ofitake pipe connecting the gas oiftake of a coking chamber with the collector main, said gas oiitake pipe having a portion adapted to collect liquid to provide a liquid seal for preventing flow of gas from said coking chamber to said collector main during the pushing of coke from said coking chamber, means for spraying liquid into said gas ofltake pipe into the portion thereof adapted to collect said liquid to provide said liquid seal, a valve adapted to be moved from a position where said liquid seal is broken by the flow of said liquid through said valve to a position where liquid collects in said portion to form said liquid seal, a lever for actuating said valve, said gas oiltake pipe being provided with a vent opening, a cover for closing said vent opening, an arm for moving said cover from open to closed position, a movable member on said charging larry, said lever and arm being constructed and arranged to be actuated by said movable member when said charging larry is in position to charge said coking chamber, and means on said charging larry for moving said movable member to engage said arm to close said cover and also to engage said lever to open said valve to break said liquid seal.

3. In a coke oven battery provided with a charging larry for supplying fuel to be coked to the coking chambers forming the battery, each of which chambers is provided with a gas oiitake. a collector main, a gas offtake pipe connecting the gas ofitake of a coking chamber with the collector main, said gas ofitake pipe having a portion extending laterally into said collector main adapted to collect liquid to provide a liquid seal for preventing how of gas from said coking chamber to said collector main during the pushing oi coke from said coking chamber, means for spraying liquid into said gas oiltake directed to discharge liquid into the portion thereof adapted to collect said liquid to provide said liquid seal, a valve in said portion of the oiitake pipe adapted to be moved into a position where said liquid seal is broken by the drainage of said liquid through said valve and also into a position where liquid collects in said portion to form said liquid seal, a lever for actuating said valve, said gas ofltake pipe being provided with a vent opening, a cover for closing said vent opening, an arm for moving said cover from open to closed position, a steam jet provided with a valve for controlling flow of steam thereto, a lever for operating said steam jet valve, and means on said larry, when in, position to charge said coking chamber, for engaging the first mentioned lever to open said valve to break said liquid seal, for engaging said am to close said cover, and for engaging the second mentioned lever to open the valve controlling the operation of the steam jet.

4. In a coke oven battery, a collector main, an uptake pipe having a portion extending laterally through a side wall 01' said collector main, said ortion being provided with a liquid collecting pocket forming a liquid seal for preventing iiow of gas into the collector main during the pushing of a coking chamber, means for spraying liquiol into said pocket, a valve disposed in the base portion or said ocket to control drainage of liq uid therefrom, pivoted levers for operating said valve, one of said levers being relatively long and provided with a 1113 at an intermediate portion thereof, a guide on the side of the uptake pipe adapted to be engaged by said lug to maintain said lever in position such that said valve is closed, said uptake pipe being provided in the upper portion thereot with a vent opening, a rotatably mounted shaft disposed in a support adjacent to said vent opening, a cover fixed to said shaft and adapted to be moved therewith to open and close said vent opening, an arm extending from said cover for eflecting closing movement thereof, a steam jet in said uptake pipe provided with a valve-controlled line for supplying steam thereto, a charging larry, an operating member on said larry and means for moving said member in a downward direction (1) to effect movement of said lug out of engagement with said guide, (2) to move said pivoted levers to open said valve to break said liquid seal, (3) to engage said arm to close said cover, and (4) to actuate said linkage mechanism to open the valve controlling the flow of steam to the steam Jet.

OLAV M. TWEI'I.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date Re. 20,619 McIntire Jan. 11, 1938 2,082,118 Potter June 1, 1937 1,798,517 Becker Mar. 31, 1931 646,368 Egle Mar. 27, 1900 836,046 Mitchell Nov. 13, 1906 

